JPH103304A - Operation starting instruction monitoring device for processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a defect from being generated by no instruction of processing operation start from an operator after the arrangement of object to be processed at a prescribed position on a processor. SOLUTION: When a start switch 3 is turned on, a controller 4 starts the processing operation of an object 1 to be processed set to a set part 2. When the setting of the object 1 to be processed to the set part 2 is detected by a sensor 11, a timer 12 starts checking prescribed limit time and monitors the output of the start switch 3 and when the start switch 3 is turned on within the limit time, the checking of time is stopped but when the start switch 3 is not turned on within the limit time, an alarm output signal is outputted. When the alarm output signal from the timer 12 is inputted, an alarm output device 13 outputs alarm for notifying no instruction of processing operation start.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention monitors whether or not an instruction to start the operation of a processing apparatus has been securely issued in various processing apparatuses such as a manufacturing apparatus and a processing apparatus for performing predetermined processing on an object to be processed. The present invention relates to an operation start instruction monitoring device in a processing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a processing apparatus for performing a predetermined process on an object to be processed, such as a manufacturing apparatus for semiconductors or a processing apparatus for processing an object, an operator starts the operation after arranging the object at a predetermined position. In some cases, processing is started by actuating a switch. As an example of such a processing apparatus, there are a coating apparatus for applying a resist to a wafer in a semiconductor manufacturing process, a developing apparatus for developing a pattern after exposing the resist, and an etching apparatus for etching after the development. In these apparatuses, after a carrier containing a plurality of wafers to be processed is set at a predetermined position and an operator operates a start switch, the apparatus takes out wafers one by one from the carrier and performs predetermined processing. And operates to return the wafer to its original position in the carrier after the processing is completed.

[0003]

As described above, in a processing apparatus in which an object to be processed is taken out of a predetermined position and processed, and returns to the original predetermined position after the processing is completed, the operator is required to operate the object to be processed. If the operator forgets to operate the start switch after setting the object at the predetermined position, the object to be processed at the predetermined position without performing the processing is mistaken for the object at the predetermined position after the processing is completed. Therefore, a human error such as sending the workpiece to the next process occurs, and as a result, there is a problem that the workpiece is defective due to the omission of the processing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to generate defects due to an operator not instructing to start a processing operation after a processing object is placed at a predetermined position in a processing apparatus. It is an object of the present invention to provide an operation start instruction monitoring device in a processing device capable of preventing the above.

[0005]

An operation start instruction monitoring device in a processing apparatus according to the present invention has an operation start instruction means for instructing a start of a processing operation of an object to be processed. Detecting means for detecting that the object to be processed is arranged at a predetermined position, which is used in a processing apparatus which starts processing operation of the object to be arranged at a predetermined position when start is instructed; and Monitoring means for monitoring whether or not processing start is instructed by operation start instructing means within a predetermined time after the detecting means detects that the object is placed at a predetermined position; and Notification means for notifying that the start of the processing operation has not been instructed when it is recognized that the start of the processing operation has not been instructed within the predetermined time.

In the operation start instruction monitoring device of this processing apparatus, the processing operation is started by the operation start instruction means within a predetermined time after the monitoring means detects that the object to be processed is arranged at the predetermined position by the detection means. Is monitored, and if the monitoring means recognizes that the processing operation start has not been instructed within a predetermined time, the notifying means notifies that the processing operation start has not been instructed. Is done.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the first embodiment of the present invention.
It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the principal part of the processing apparatus containing the operation start instruction | indication monitoring apparatus which concerns on embodiment. The processing apparatus includes a setting unit 2 which is located at a predetermined position where the object 1 is to be disposed.
A start switch 3 as operation start instructing means for instructing a start of a processing operation of the object 1;
And a control device 4 for starting the processing operation of the workpiece 1 set in the setting section 2 when the start operation of the processing operation is instructed by the start switch 3.
And As an example of such a processing device,
As described above, the coating device used in the semiconductor manufacturing process,
There are a developing device and an etching device. In the case of these apparatuses, the processing object 1 is a wafer housed in a carrier.

The operation start instruction monitoring device according to the present embodiment includes a sensor 11 for detecting that the object 1 is set on the setting section 2, and the sensor 11
When it is detected that is set in the setting section 2, the timer for a predetermined time limit is started and the start switch 3 is started.
When the start switch 3 is turned on within a predetermined time limit, the timer is stopped. When the start switch 3 is not turned on within the predetermined time limit, an alarm output signal is output. It includes a timer 12 for outputting, and an alarm output device 13 for outputting an alarm (warning) for notifying that the start of the processing operation is not instructed when the timer 12 outputs an alarm output signal. . The sensor 11 corresponds to the detecting means in the present invention,
The timer 12 corresponds to monitoring means in the present invention, and the alarm output device 13 corresponds to notification means in the present invention.

When the processing apparatus is the above-described coating apparatus, developing apparatus, etching apparatus or the like, the sensor 11 detects, for example, a carrier containing a plurality of wafers. As the sensor 11, an optical sensor, a limit switch, or the like can be used. Alarm output device 13
May be a buzzer or a lamp that outputs an alarm with a predetermined sound or light, a display that outputs an alarm with a predetermined message, a sound output device that outputs an alarm with a predetermined sound, or the like.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the timer 12 in FIG. Incidentally, in this example, the sensor 11 outputs a set detection signals S ₁ becomes constant time low level when it is detected that the object to be processed 1 is set in the set section 2, the start switch 3 is turned on The start detection signal S ₂ which becomes low level for a certain time when
Shall be output. The timer 12 has a preset input terminal PR for negative logic input and a clear input terminal C for negative logic input.
Flip-flop 21 having LR and output terminal Q
And a counter 22 having a clock input terminal C _k , a negative logic input clear input terminal CLR, and a carry output terminal C.
, An OR gate 23 of negative logic, and an inverter 24. The set detection signal S ₁ is input to the preset input terminal PR of the flip-flop 21, and the output of the OR gate 23 is input to the clear input terminal CLR. One input terminal of the OR gate 23 so that the start detection signal S ₂ is inputted. The clock CLK is input to the clock input terminal C _k of the counter 22. The carry output terminal C of the counter 22 is connected to the input terminal of the inverter 24 and the alarm output device 13.
And connected to. The output terminal of the inverter 24 is connected to the other input terminal of the OR gate 23.

[0011] In the timer 12 shown in FIG. 2, the set detection signal S ₁ is input, the output of the output terminal Q of the flip-flop 21 goes high, the counter 22 starts counting of the clock CLK, a predetermined When a predetermined number of clocks CLK corresponding to the time limit are counted, a carry output is output from the carry output terminal C to the alarm output device 13 and the inverter 24. Alarm output device 13
Is designed to output a predetermined alarm when a carry output is input. The low-level signal output from the inverter 24 in response to the carry output is output from the OR gate 2.
3, the output of the OR gate 23 goes low, the output of the output terminal Q of the flip-flop 21 goes low, the counter 22 enters the clear state, and stops counting. The counter 22 is clock C
From the start of counting of LK, before counting a predetermined number of clock CLK corresponding to the predetermined time limit, when the start detection signal S ₂ is inputted, the flip-flop is the output of the OR gate 23 is a low level The output of the output terminal Q of the counter 21 goes low, the counter 22 enters the clear state, and stops counting. As a result, the carry output is not output from the counter 22 and the alarm output device 1
No alarm is output from 3.

Next, the operation of the operation start instruction monitoring apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In this operation, first, the sensor 11 monitors whether or not the workpiece 1 has been set in the setting unit 2 (step S101). Object 1 to be processed by sensor 11
When it is detected that is set in the setting unit 2 (Y), the timer 12 starts measuring a predetermined time limit (step S102). Next, it is monitored whether or not the start switch 3 has been turned on (step S103).
When the start switch 3 is turned on (Y), the timer 12 stops measuring time (step S104), and ends the operation of the operation start instruction monitoring device. On the other hand, when the start switch 3 is not turned on (step S103; N)
Is monitored whether the time measured by the timer 12 exceeds the time limit (step S105). If the time limit has not been exceeded (N), the process returns to step S103. If the time limit is exceeded (step S105; Y), the alarm output device 13 outputs an alarm (step S10).
6) Terminate the operation of the operation start instruction monitoring device. If the operator forgets to turn on the start switch 3 or if it is too late to turn on, the alarm notices that, and the operator can turn on the start switch 3 to start the process. .

As described above, according to the operation start instruction monitoring device according to the present embodiment, when the operator does not instruct the start of the processing operation after the workpiece 1 is set on the setting unit 2 in the processing device, for example. Since an alarm is output after the elapse of a predetermined time limit, it is possible to prevent occurrence of a defect in the processing object due to omission of processing. Further, in the manufacturing industry, it is possible to prevent stagnation of processing due to forgetting to start work in processing up to product manufacturing. Further, according to the operation start instruction monitoring device according to the present embodiment, the operator can be prompted to start the process early, so that in the case of a process with a limited time, it can also be a measure to prevent the limited time from being exceeded. . The alarm by the operation start instruction monitoring device is
In addition to a warning that prompts the operator to start processing, the warning also indicates that processing has not started normally in the processing device.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a processing device including an operation start instruction monitoring device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the control device has a function of monitoring whether or not the start switch 3 is turned on within a predetermined time limit after the sensor 11 detects that the workpiece 1 has been set in the setting unit 2. This is an example in which 4 is provided. In the present embodiment, the timer 12 is not provided in the first embodiment, and the control device 4 has the function of the timer 12. The control device 4 includes a computer, and the computer executes the operation shown in FIG. That is, the computer in the control device 4 monitors the output of the sensor 11 and the output of the start switch 3 and starts counting a predetermined time limit when the output of the sensor 11 is input. If the start switch 3 is not turned on within a predetermined time limit, an alarm output signal is output to the alarm output device 13. Other configurations, operations, and effects in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the start of the processing operation is not instructed within a predetermined time limit after it is detected that the object to be processed is arranged at a predetermined position. At this time, instead of outputting the alarm, or at the same time as outputting the alarm, it may be notified to another place via the communication means. Further, the time limit may be changed. This can be realized by using a presetter counter as the counter 22 in the first embodiment, and can be realized by changing a computer program in the control device 4 in the second embodiment.

[0016]

As described above, according to the operation start instruction monitoring apparatus of the present invention, the start of the processing operation is not instructed within the predetermined time after the detection that the object to be processed is arranged at the predetermined position. In this case, the processing operation start is notified that the processing operation start has not been instructed, so that the occurrence of a failure due to the operator not instructing the processing operation start after the processing object is arranged at the predetermined position in the processing apparatus. This has the effect that it can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a processing device including an operation start instruction monitoring device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a timer in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of the operation start instruction monitoring device according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of a processing device including an operation start instruction monitoring device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Workpiece, 2 ... Set part, 3 ... Start switch,
4 ... Control device, 11 ... Sensor, 12 ... Timer, 13 ... Alarm output device

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Agency reference number FI Technical display location G05B 23/02 301 H01L 21/02 Z H01L 21/02 G05B 19/05 J

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An object having an operation start instructing means for instructing a start of a processing operation of an object to be processed, wherein the object to be processed is arranged at a predetermined position when a start of the processing operation is instructed by the operation start instructing means. Detecting means for detecting that the object is disposed at the predetermined position; detecting that the object is disposed at the predetermined position by the detecting means. Monitoring means for monitoring whether or not a processing operation start has been instructed by the operation start instructing means within a predetermined time period; and recognizing that the processing operation start has not been instructed within the predetermined time period by the monitoring means. And a notifying means for notifying that the start of the processing operation has not been instructed when the operation has been started.